By Faranak Bakhtiari

Parishan Wetland: West Asia's largest freshwater at drought tipping point

TEHRAN –Parishan Wetland, the largest freshwater lake in Iran and West Asia, dried up in recent years and is struggling to death due to excessive groundwater withdrawal.

Media help alter mental image of travelers towards Sistan-Baluchestan

TEHRAN – Media have helped change the mental image of people towards Sistan-Baluchestan province, which was being shunned by many potential foreign and domestic travelers.

Some 2,000 old trees identified so far in Iran

TEHRAN – Some 2,000 old trees have so far been identified across Iran, which are deemed as reliable sources for proving history of the ancient land in terms of climate change, environment and geology.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

Challenges facing Iran to become resilient against disasters

TEHRAN – Having tackled over 34 out of 41 natural disasters identified worldwide, Iran is among the top countries most prone to natural disasters. Therefore, risk reduction and resilience is widely recognized emphasizing the need for making cities resilient to disasters. But what are the challenges on its way?

4,000 in drought-ridden areas provided with social services

TEHRAN – The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) has dispatched volunteer teams to provide social services to the people residing in drought-stricken provinces of Sistan-Baluchestan, South Khorasan and Hormozgan, IRNA reported on Tuesday.

85% of Iran's population affected by prolonged drought: official

TEHRAN – Over 85 percent of the country’s total population is affected by prolonged drought over the past decade, Sadeq Ziaeian, director of the national center for drought and crisis management affiliated to the Meteorological Organization, told ISNA on Friday.

Water donation campaign aims to ease drought in 4 provinces

TEHRAN – The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) will launch a campaign for the second time to solicit public donations to ease water stress in four provinces of the country.

System to be set up for monitoring, forecasting agricultural drought

TEHRAN – A system will be launched to monitor, forecast and report the agricultural lands being hit by drought, Amir Qaderi, an official with Disaster Management Organization has announced.

Increased precipitations predicted for next two decades in Iran 

TEHRAN — It seems that over the next one to two decades the number of years with above-normal precipitations will increase, eminent meteorology professor Hossein Ardakani has said.

Rainfall brings drought-hit southeastern Iran back to life

TEHRAN – Long battled with drought, the southeastern province of Kerman benefits from heavy rainfall which filled the province’s water resources and quenched pastures’ thirst, despite causing damages to the infrastructure and farms, IRNA reported on Tuesday.

7-month heavy rainfalls beat 2-year drought: IMO official

TEHRAN – Director of National Drought Warning and Monitoring Center (NDWMC) affiliated to Iran’s Meteorological Organization (IMO) Sadeq Ziaeian announced that since the beginning of current water year (starting on September 23, 2018) precipitations have compensated for the below normal averages of past two years.

After deluge Helmand River springs back to life

TEHRAN — After 18 years of dryness the almost dead Helmand River returned to life following recent torrential rainfalls, YJC reported on Saturday.

Wetter-than-normal year not to make up for prolonged drought

TEHRAN – Hassan Sasani, an official with Isfahan regional water company, emphasized the urgency to tackle water scarcity in central parts of the country, noting that longstanding drought will not be eased by a year of above-normal precipitations.

Recent rainfalls filled 70% of dams, restore drained wetlands: minister

TEHRAN — Recent heavy rainfalls in Iran has filled 70 percent of dams and resulted in restoration of drained wetlands across the country, Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian has said.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

Massive water transfer projects not to ease acute shortages but cripple ecosystems

TEHRAN – Water transfer schemes looking attractive to many of those residing in drought-stricken central Iran worried about drought, not only does not eliminate water scarcity, but inevitably involves polluting the environment along with damaging agriculture, people’s fragile source of income.

‘Water transfer from Caspian Sea not economically justifiable’

TEHRAN – Water transfer from the Caspian Sea in northern Iran to the drought-stricken central provinces brings heavy economic burden to the country, regardless of posing probable damages to the environment, former deputy Department of Environment (DOE) chief has said.

Water drenches 18,000 ha of Hamoun-e Sabori wetland

TEHRAN – Hamoun-e Sabori wetland on the Iran-Afghanistan border has been saturated, as rainwater flowed over 18,000 hectares of the wetland, Mohammad Reza Alimoradi, head of marine affairs at the Sistan-Baluchestan provincial department of environment has announced.

Climate change rises wind erosion by 30% in Iran: official

TEHRAN — Climate change, coupled with lower precipitations and wetlands’ dryness have brought about 30-percent rise in wind erosion in the country, director general of the deserts office at the Forests, Range and Watershed Management Organization has said.

97% of Iran affected by long-term drought: expert

TEHRAN — Based on the dada collected over the past decade approximately 97 percent of the country is affected by long-term drought, director of the national drought warning and monitoring center, Sadeq Ziaeian, has said.

By Maryam Qarehgozlou  

Will cloud seeding cause a blast of moisture in drought-stricken areas? 

TEHRAN — Cloud seeding projects are planned to get off the ground in 10 provinces of Iran in a collaborative attempt between the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force (IRGC AF) and the National Cloud Seeding Research Center within the next few weeks.

Govt. allots $3.5m to combat drought in protected areas

TEHRAN — The cabinet of ministers has approved a budget of 150 billion rials (nearly $3.5 million) to fight drought and reduce its adverse effects in protected areas, the budget office director of the Department of Environment (DOE) has said.

‘Climate change main cause of recurrent droughts in Iran’

TEHRAN - Climatic change along with changes in precipitation patterns are the main reasons behind recurrent droughts haunting different parts of the country, head of National Disaster Management Organization has said.

Water solicitation for drought-ridden Sistan-Baluchestan to ease water stress

TEHRAN — With Hamoun wetland drained of water and the rainless sky in southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan many are in dire need of drinking water.

Negotiating Hamoun water right, only way for Sistan to survive: report

TEHRAN – As long as sand and dust storms (SDSs) severely threatens the lives of people and affects many sectors of agriculture, livestock and industry in Sistan region, southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, the only way to halt the impacts is to negotiate with Afghanistan on granting the water right of Hamoun wetland, IRNA reported on Monday.